Mediterranean-style diet associated with lower stroke risk

Women who follow a Mediterranean-style eating pattern may face a lower risk of stroke, according to “Mediterranean Diet and the Risk of Stroke Subtypes in Women,” new research published in the journal Neurology Open Access.

The Mediterranean diet centers on eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, legumes and fish, along with healthy fats such as olive oil. It limits dairy products, meat and foods high in saturated fatty acids.

“Our findings support the mounting evidence that a healthy diet is critical to stroke prevention,” said study author Sophia S. Wang, PhD. “We were especially interested to see that this finding applies to hemorrhagic stroke, as few large studies have looked at this type of stroke.”

The study included 105,614 women with no history of stroke and an average age of 53. Each participant completed a detailed diet questionnaire at the start of the study. Researchers then assigned a score ranging from zero to nine based on how closely each person’s diet matched Mediterranean diet guidelines. Participants earned one point for consuming more than the population average of whole grain cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, olive oil and fish, as well as for drinking a moderate amount of alcohol. They also earned a point for eating less red meat and dairy than average.

Participants were monitored for an average of 21 years. After accounting for other risk factors, the differences remained significant. Women with the highest Mediterranean diet scores were 18% less likely to experience a stroke than those with the lowest scores. Their risk of ischemic stroke was 16% lower, hemorrhagic stroke 25% lower.

For more information, visit neurology.org.

Source: Science Daily